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Disney's OpenAI Deal 'Appears to Sanction' AI Company's 'Theft of Our Work,' WGA Says [View all]
The Writers Guild of America said Disney‘s huge licensing deal with OpenAI appears to “sanction” the AI company’s “theft of our work.”
“Disney’s announcement with OpenAI appears to sanction its theft of our work and cedes the value of what we create to a tech company that has built its business off our backs,” the union said in a message to members Thursday. WGA said it will meet with Disney “to probe the terms of this deal, including the extent to which user-generated videos use the work of WGA members. We will continue to fight to protect our members’ creative and economic interests in the context of AI technology.”
Under Disney’s three-year licensing agreement, OpenAI’s Sora will be able to generate user-prompted videos from a set of more than 200 masked, animated or creature characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars. Sora and ChatGPT Images are expected to start generating “fan-inspired” videos with Disney’s licensed characters in early 2026. In addition, as part of the deal, Disney will make a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI.
According to WGA’s message to members, “Companies including OpenAI have stolen vast libraries of works owned by the studios and created by WGA members and Hollywood labor to train their artificial intelligence systems. We have repeatedly called for the studios to take legal action to defend the valuable intellectual property we help to create.”
“Disney’s announcement with OpenAI appears to sanction its theft of our work and cedes the value of what we create to a tech company that has built its business off our backs,” the union said in a message to members Thursday. WGA said it will meet with Disney “to probe the terms of this deal, including the extent to which user-generated videos use the work of WGA members. We will continue to fight to protect our members’ creative and economic interests in the context of AI technology.”
Under Disney’s three-year licensing agreement, OpenAI’s Sora will be able to generate user-prompted videos from a set of more than 200 masked, animated or creature characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars. Sora and ChatGPT Images are expected to start generating “fan-inspired” videos with Disney’s licensed characters in early 2026. In addition, as part of the deal, Disney will make a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI.
According to WGA’s message to members, “Companies including OpenAI have stolen vast libraries of works owned by the studios and created by WGA members and Hollywood labor to train their artificial intelligence systems. We have repeatedly called for the studios to take legal action to defend the valuable intellectual property we help to create.”
https://variety.com/2025/digital/news/wga-disney-openai-deal-theft-of-our-work-1236606872/
Disney has not responded to a request for comment,
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